Saturday, 3 October 2015

SEE The Men Buhari Is Bringing On His Second Ministers List

*Okorocha’s in-law, Odimegwu, Nnaji, etc.
Just days after submitting the list of the first set of ministerial
nominees, President Muhammadu Buhari is weighing options on the next
batch of nominees. Last minutes of intense horse-trading and lobbying
are ongoing in the states without any representation on the first list.

Investigation showed that the jostle for the other slots has become intense.

A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Despite the fact that
the President has set his own criteria, he is weighing options on the
remaining candidates because of interplay of factors.

“Although some aides are proposing the retention of the 42-man
ministerial structure, others are urging the President to stick to the
36-team model prescribed by the 1999 Constitution.

“The submission of the first batch of 21 names to the Senate has heightened lobby for the remaining slots.”

It was gathered that governors, party leaders at all levels and
associates have been trying to reach out to the President and “strategic
aides.”

But the battle for the slots was said to be keen because no one knew the mindset of the President.

Another source said: “For instance in Imo, ex-President Olusegun
Obasanjo wants the slot for a former Chairman of the National Population
Commission (NPC), Chief Festus Odimegwu but Governor Rochas Okorocha is
rooting for his in-law, Prof. Anthony Anwuka (a former vice
chancellor).

“In Abia State, the jostle is between Buhari’s old associate, Ike
Emenike and the party’s guber candidate, Anyim Nzeribe, who is a
loyalist of Governor Rochas Okorocha in the state.”

“Having been familiar with the politics of Kaduna, President Buhari is
taking sole charge of the ministerial nominee from the state, based on
certain indices.

“In fact, Governor Nasir el-Rufai is actually staying away from making
any input in the nomination process. He has left the President and other
stakeholders to sort it out.

“In Ondo, the race for the ticket is between a former President of the
NBA, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and a top politician from the state, who was
an executive of a multinational company.

“In Osun, there are three candidates for the slot and Buhari is expected
to pick one. They are ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola (recommended for
his support to Governor Rauf Aregbesola and APC); the immediate past
Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole and a
prominent politician in the state.

“Apart from also being a favourite of Obasanjo, ex-Governor Oyinlola’s candidacy is also being promoted by some forces in APC.

In Enugu State, our source said the list is longer despite the fact that
the state chapter of APC could only garner 14,000 votes (less than 3
per cent of the total votes cast) for Buhari.

The source added: “We have Comrade Osita Okechukwu, who is a reliable
associate of Buhari. Although Okechukwu, the National Publicity
Secretary of CNPP, has not met Buhari since his inauguration, he is said
to be not too keen.

“In spite of the Kwara State slot going to the National Publicity
Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the President of the Senate, Dr.
Bukola Saraki is still lobbying for the return of his “godson” and
ex-minister of sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, who was the Deputy Chairman of
the Strategy Committee for the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

Abdullahi was rated as an asset during the campaign, and for resigning
from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet, he has earned the respect
of some APC leaders.

“Saraki’s position may lead to the resuscitation of geopolitical
representation in the Federal Executive Council to make the team 42.”

Investigation revealed that the challenge at hand is how Buhari will
manage the choice of the remaining ministers because there are more than
qualified party members, technocrats and long-standing and trusted
associates.

A source in the Presidency added: “From the look of things, we may have
to resort to consensus on some nominees as the case in some states.

“Let me give you the example of Ekiti State. When the nomination of the
candidate for the state was knotty, ex-Governors Niyi Adebayo and Segun
Oni met with Buhari where Oni declared without reservation that the slot
should be given to Dr. Kayode Fayemi. And that assisted in tackling the
matter.

As at press time, findings confirmed that most APC governors were
shocked that the President did not allow them to make input into the
choice of his ministers.

A source in the APC Governors Forum said: “The President determined
those he wanted to work with him. To a large extent, the governors were
not consulted on those picked from our states. But they have to bear
with the President because it is his constitutional prerogative.

He said many governors woke up to read the list of cabinet members like every Nigerian.

“Since the President does not choose commissioners for the governors,
they cannot pick his ministers for him. I think he is trying to do away
with the past culture put in place by the PDP.

“The governors were no doubt shocked or surprised but the consolation is that he has chosen credible people.”

Apart from the governors, senators desirous of having the ministerial
list would have to wait till Tuesday because the Senate President was
said to have refused to open the envelope sent to him.

A Senator said: “We have all been pestering Saraki to have a glimpse of
what was sent by the President but he said he would not open it until
Tuesday.”